This shepherd’s pie is easy and absolutely delicious. It is one of those comfort foods for a weekend night, a gathering, or even a holiday. I was never a fan of shepherd’s pie until I created this recipe. If you are not a fan of it either, trust me you will soon be one Once you try this recipe.

Ingredients In Shepherd’s Pie

Ground beef

Diced onion
Minced garlic
Sliced mushrooms
Cornstarch
Milk (Lactose free milk, Almond milk, cashew milk, whatever your preference is)
Water, or chicken or beef broth
Chicken or beef bouillon if you are using water.
Canned green beans, drained, or (½ pound fresh, or frozen)
Canned sweet corn, drained
Black pepper
Worcestershire sauce
Parsley
White pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Nutmeg powder
Bay leaf
Salt to taste
Cinnamon
Allspice
Creamy Mashed Potatoes, You can find the recipe on PeacefulLivingNH.com

Utensils

Large pot
Wooden spoon
Spatula
11 x 7 baking dish
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Fine colander

What Is Real Shepherd’s Pie Made of

Traditionally, real shepherd’s pie is made with lamb. Which I absolutely love and prefer by the way. So technically, this is not shepherd’s pie. Instead, it is called cottage pie.

So this is how it goes, a pie that is made with lamb is referred to as shepherd’s pie, (lamb, sheep, makes sense right?), and a pie that is made with beef is referred to as cottage pie.

So why is this recipe called shepherd’s pie? In today’s age, most people make shepherd’s pie using beef. One because it’s more affordable, and two because most people are not used to the flavor of lamb.

So it’s called shepherd’s pie because that’s what you expect to find when you search for shepherd’s pie.

There are some controversies to whether this dish originated in England, or in Ireland. Some say it’s Irish, and some say it’s British. However, since part of Ireland is still under UK rule, I suppose you could say it’s both.

What to Serve With Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie is an mazing dish on it’s own, especially with all the wonderful ingredients we have in it. But here are some excellent side dishes that you could serve along side this amazing dish.

You can find all the recipes on the blog by simply clicking the name of each recipe mentioned above.

Another great side dish would be a Greek or Italian style salad which I do not have yet on the blog, but hope to some day in the future. I make a killer Italian style salad that my whole family loves!

Shepherd's pie in a dish decorated with flowers. A fork with some shepherd's pie scooped into it to the top right corner of the picture.

How Do You Reheat Shepherd’s Pie

The best way to reheat shepherd’s pie is in the oven. Reheating it in the oven will give you the best texture and flavor. It will crisp up the top again and bring back those umami flavors.

To reheat shepherd’s pie in the oven, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pie in an oven safe dish, and place it into the oven, on the middle rack. Allow the pie to reheat for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the center is fully reheated, and the pie is hot and bubbly.

The time of reheating it will of course vary depending on how big your pie is.

If your pie was in an oven safe dish that was placed in the fridge, this is what you need to do to prevent your dish from cracking in the oven.

Remove the pie from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes, wipe the bottom and sides of the dish down with a dish towel or a paper towel to ensure it is fully dry, and then place it into the preheated oven.

Any water droplets that are left on the outside of a glass, or even ceramic baking dish can cause the dish to crack in a hot oven. The reason for that is the water droplet concentrate the heat in that area while creating uneven heat among the dish and causing it to crack.

Can Shepherds Pie Be Frozen

Shepherd’s pie is a great dish for make-ahead meals. It is actually one of my favorite dishes to freeze because the flavor and texture stays pretty much the same after thawing and baking.

To freeze shepherd’s pie, wrap the dish with some aluminum foil, and then plastic wrap. Make sure to write the name of the dish and instructions on how to bake it on the foil before wrapping it with plastic wrap.

Allow the dish to cool completely before placing it into the freezer.

Place your frozen pie into the fridge the night before, or a couple days before (if your fridge runs cold) you are ready to bake it. Allow it to thaw in the fridge.

When you are ready to bake it, remove it from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, dry off the bottom and the sides of the dish with a paper towel or a dish cloth, if it is a glass or ceramic dish, and then place it into the oven.

Troubleshooting During Baking

If the gravy (sauce) starts escaping to the top of the mashed potatoes, using a butter knife, create slits in the mashed potato layer to allow the steam to escape. This will prevent the gravy from spilling to the sides.

You can find the mashed potatoes recipe right here on my blog Creamy Mashed Potatoes. I have used almond milk the last time I made this dish. I prefer it over most other types of milk. It creates a light and creamy dish.

Shepherd’s Pie

Chantal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 1 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, French, German, Mediterranean

Servings 4 to 6 People

Equipment

Large pot
Wooden Spoon
Spatula
11 x 7 baking dish
Measuring cups
Measuring Spoons
Fine colander

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 large diced onion
½ tablespoon minced garlic
5 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
¾ cups of milk Lactose free milk, Almond milk, cashew milk, whatever your preference is
¾ cups of water or chicken or beef broth
2 small cubes chicken or beef bouillon if you are using water.
1 15 oz. can green beans, drained, or (½ pound fresh, or frozen)
1 15 oz. can sweet corn, drained
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon parsley
A dash of white pepper
½ tablespoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon onion powder
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
4 to 6 cups Creamy Mashed Potatoes You can find the recipe on PeacefulLivingNH.com

Instructions

In a large pot, brown the beef with the onions and minced garlic on high heat while constantly stirring. This will break up the brown beef evenly and cook the onions and garlic evenly.
Once the ground beef is browned and the onions are translucent, drain the fat using a colander, leaving some of the fat in to aid in cooking the mushrooms.
Reduce heat to medium-high. Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and the juices have come out.
Add in the corn starch and stir well until well combined.
Add in the green beans, corn, salt, black pepper, white pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, Chicken or beef bouillon (If not using chicken or beef broth). Stir until well combined.
Add in the milk, and water (or chicken or beef broth instead of water). Stir continuously until the sauce begins to boil, and it has thickened slightly. Reduce the heat to low. Add in the bay leaf, and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes while covered. Once the mixture is done simmering remove the bay leaf and toss it.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Once the mixture is done simmering, grab an 11 x 7 baking dish. Pour in the beef mixture at the bottom of the dish and level it evenly. Ladle in small scoops of the mashed potatoes on top of the beef mixture. Using a spatula, gently spread the mashed potatoes over the beef mixture making sure to cover all the nooks and crannies. You can find the complete recipe for creamy mashed potatoes at PeacefulLivingNH.com.
Bake in a 400 F preheated oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the top begins to brown.

Notes

You can find the mashed potatoes recipe right here on my blog Creamy Mashed Potatoes.

I have used almond milk the last time I made this dish. I prefer it over most other types of milk. It creates a light and creamy dish.

Keyword easy dinner recipes, easy gluten free recipes, potato recipes

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